Author and podcast host Sadie Roberston Huff kicked off the 2024 Passion Conference by challenging thousands of teens and young adults in attendance to remain steadfast on the Word of God and to share the Gospel.
“Why are you scared to share the most incredible story known to man that would change anyone's life that encountered it?” she asked those gathered at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 3.
“This is the greatest gift you could give someone to share this news. You’re going to face hard things. I think some people … are like, ‘How do I know God is real? God, prove to me that you're real by everything working out in my life. God, if you're real, then I'll get the job. If you're real, I'll meet my spouse. If you're real, then everything will be OK.’ But it's not when things are good and perfect that proves that God is real. It's normally in the hardships that the evidence of His faithfulness becomes so real to you.”
“There's a lot of bad things happening,” she added. “It's definitely scary. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. This story will not be lost on my watch. Don't let it be lost on yours. Don't let it be lost on your family. Don't let it be lost on this generation. When everyone turns to other gods, and they are, you know the one true God. Stay steadfast.”
Earlier in her message, Huff shared a struggle she went through when someone sent a letter to her years ago and asked: Dear Sadie Robertson. How do you know God is real?" and requested "practical answers only." After speaking about the matter with Passion founder Louis Giglio, he told her, "Because of the Bible." Giglio’s response prompted her to examine the Scriptures more personally in light of her relationship with God rather than just a text.
“When Josiah read the Word for himself, it changed him,” she said, referencing the story of King Josiah, who became a king at eight and later discovered the book of the law at 26.
“I know the Word is not lost in our day because I'm holding the Word literally on my phone. I have the Word, and we all have Bibles in here. But I wonder, although we have the Word, and it's not technically lost, has it been lost on us? Has the value, has the power, has the gravity of the story been lost on us?”
According to The Christian Post, Huff also used an analogy of sports fans' conviction about their favorite athletes, such as Michael Jordan, to illustrate how personal experience and knowledge support true belief. She argued that knowing God is real comes from understanding The Bible and how it changes lives
“God actually could show up and prove it to you,” Huff said. “He could bring a fire from the sky right now, and we're like, ‘Yep, He's real.’ He could enlighten our eyes to see the angels around us, and we'd be like, ‘Totally real.’ But I just love that in Josiah’s day, it wasn't an angel appearing to him. It wasn't fire falling from the sky, although God has done that. He could do that. He's perfectly capable and able to, but the discovery of the Word changed everything. That was all they needed to know. How do I know God is real? Because I know the story. And because the story has changed me.”
Photo Courtesy: ©Jason Davis Photography for K-LOVE Fan Awards, used with permission
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.